Railway-switch.



W. H. SHUGART.

I RAILWAY swrrcm APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1909.

' Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

unrrnnsrnrnsrnrnr rm p WILLIAMlI-I. 'sHUeAn'r}or n'EwPonr; TENNESSEE.

- w RhIIiwnY-swrrorn "Specificationo f Letters Patent.

Patented Aug." 31, "19 09.,

To all whom it may conceim:

Be it known thatl, WILLIAMH. SHUGART, 1

a citizen of the United States, residingyat Newport, in the county ofCocke and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Railway-Switches,

of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to railroad construction, and has particular reference to switches, a, the purpose being to avoid'the necessity for using frogs and the cutting of the main track rails. l

It has been found in practice that since trains are moved upon sidetracks usually'at slow speed and infrequently in comparison to the vast amount of tr'affic'over the main rails the movable switch points may-sbe :so constructed and operatedfas toxoverlap the:

main rails and to cause thetrains to roll up thereon at a suflicient elevation above they ing diagrammatic; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a'transverse vertical detail substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a similar View on the line 44 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 55 of Fig. 1. ,7 f I Throughout the following description and on the several figuresof the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like referencechar-,

acters. p p 7 Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the main track having rails 10 and 10 and the numeral 11 indicates the side. track. The switch'is shown at 12 and'comprises a pair of switch points 12, and 12 1 spaced normally at one side of the rails 10 and 10 respectively, and adapted to be moved in one direction toward and over the same, as indicated in dottedlines in 'Fig. l; The switch also includes switch points 13 and 13, movable in the o positedirectionfrom the movement of the rstmentioned switch points, and adapted to aline with therails of the side track 11. Theswitch point 13 normally lies between the rails of the main track and is adapted to overlap the rail 10 upon movement of the switch. Y I

Any suitable mechanism may be employed 'toshift the switch, either onezend at a time or 'both simultaneously. As a convenient and suitable mechanism for such operation there is shown .a rock shaft 14 ..journaled'in bearings 15, arranged longitudinally of and at one side of themain track. Said journals or bearings 15 will preferably be supported ,upontheusual cross ties 16. The shaft 14 is provided at any suitable point with an operating crank 17 to which is connected a link 18, to be operated by any suitable switch lever 19, similar-to the conventional switch mechanism. i

Preferably near one endof the rock shaft is acrank 20 adapted to operate the shifting bar21 connected toone pair of switch points. crank 22 preferably near the opposite end f the rock shafthas connection. to a shifting is necessary that the cranks 20 and 22 shall eXtendin opposite direc'tionsfrom the rock shaft 14. "Furthermore, since it is usually necessary for one pair of switch points to move a greater distance than the other,the crank 22 to operate the same is madelonger than the other crank 20. The angular movement, therefore, of the two cranks 22 and 20 remaining the same, the throw of the bar 23 will be sufliciently greater than that of the bar 21 as to cause the switch point 13 to pass entirely across the rail 10?.

As indicated in Figs. 2 and 5 the switch points 12 and 12 are tapered or wedgeshaped so as to permit the cars to roll up-the same easily. Again, as indicated in Fig. 5, the movableswitch points are formed to nest snugly against the main rails when the switch is to be used, whereby a stronger and better braced "structure is obtained. The base flanges 24' of said switch points 006 crate with the same supporting tie or bed p ate as the base flanges of the main rails. That .portion of the movable switch point 13 which spans the rail 10 is adapted to rest upon a supporting block 25 when in alinement with the side track rail. Connecting bars 26 and 27 a may be used ifnecessary to cause proper cooperation ofthe respective switch points.

If found necessary or desirable, in addition to the main features of construction above described, any suitableme ans may be employed to positively lock the switch points in set position. As indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, ocking dogs are mounted in such a manner as to cooperate with the movable switch points and are preferably operated directly from the shifting bars connected to the bell cranks; The dog 28 is pivoted at 29 to any stationary support, and is provided with a oint28 adapted to impinge againstthe base ange of the switch point 12*. Said dog 28 is operated by means of a pin and slot connection 30 from theshifting bar 21. Said slot being cam-shaped, the horizontal movement ofthepin will cause sufiicient vertical movementof the dog to bring the point 28 into or out of engagement with the switch pointflange. I Thedog 31 at the other end of the switch is pivoted on a fixed pivot 32 and is provided with a point 31 to cooperate with the inner edge of the flange of the switch point 13'. The operation of thedog 31, like 'that previously described, is by means of a pin and slot connection 33 with the bar 23.

p By virtue of said locking mechanism it is impossible for the movable switch points to become misplaced afterbeing once'set.

V 1 Havingthus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, but without del V siring to be limited thereto except as required [new is:

by the state of the art what is claimed as 1. In combination with the main rails, the hereindescribed railway switch comprising pairs of switch points simultaneously movable in opposite directions, means for so movin one direction, a pair of switch points at the other end of the switch, one of the latter switch points being movable across one of the 'main rails, the latter pair of switch points being movable in the opposite direction from the first pair and to a greater distance, and bell crank mechanism for simultaneously shifting said switch points by a single operation, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SHUGAR'I.

Witnesses:

R. L. TALLEY, M. L. TALLEY. 

